Salem Witch Trials American Studies Chapter 3

Putnam Family (Thomas Putnam)

the driving family behind over 181 witch accusations

April 1692

the peak of hysteria in Salem Village

George Corwin

the sheriff that stole property from the accused witches

1692

the year the Salem witch trials began

1697

the year the last person was released from jail

contaminated rye

theories explaining the hallucinations and visions of those children accused of witchcraft

Betty Parris and Abigail Williams

two girls who became afflicted

Jonathan Corwin and John Hathorne

two litigators sent to question Tituba

rent

while in jail the accused were charged this

denying the charge of witchcraft

Why would someone accused of witchcraft be executed?

Cotton Mather

29 year old magistrate that wrote a vivid account of the trials

Samuel Parris

39 year old minister of the church where the trials started

1706

Ann Putnam formally apologizes for her role in the trials

"shining city on a hill"

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Tituba

Native American accused of witchcraft

Goody Osburn and Sarah Good

Tituba names these two women as witches

no

Were convicted witches ever executed?

animals

belief that devil communicated to witches through these

George Burroughs

considered to be leader of the witches

Goody Glover

convicted of witchcraft and executed in Boston; Irish Catholic woman who spoke in Gaelic

1703

court does away with all evidence from the trials

Martha Corey

first upstanding citizen accused of witchcraft

Bridget Bishop

first witch sentenced to death

1711

monetary damages are paid to the families of the accused

October

month in which the general court does away with the court in Salem Village

September

most executions took place in this month

50,000

number of "witches" executed in Europe in the 1600s

9

number of witches named by Tituba

Mercy Lewis

orphaned girl who became a servant in Salem Village; accused her former employer Rev. George Burroughs of witchcraft

Giles Corey

people began to rescind the trials after the outward protest of this man

walking 5 miles to another church

preferred this as to paying more taxes for another minister's salary

Wabanaki

the Puritans had trouble with this tribe of Indians